High voltage systems are used in a variety of commercial, industrial, medical, and research applications. These uses include high voltage electron guns and neutrino telescopes.
Instrumenting high voltage systems and powering and manipulating various apparatuses in high voltage systems is very difficult since no metallic connections can be made. This often leads to difficulties in measuring and monitoring various parameters in these types of systems.
One prime example of these difficulties can be found in relation to a photocathode gun used in systems such as energy-recovery linacs and free-electron lasers. In such devices, the operating current is very low, in the order of nano or even pico amperes. Measurement of this current is essential in order to monitor and, potentially, limit field emissions in the device. There are currently no efficient and/or cost-effective means for obtaining an accurate measurement of such small current in high-voltage photocathode applications. It is further desirable that any such means of measurement should avoid the use of metallic connections.
It is therefore preferable to have a system and device which allows the manipulation and operation of instrumentation, and any other apparatuses, under high voltage conditions. The instant invention provides a solution to the foregoing need.